Songs Written by Denise

A Little About My Songs

This page is a collection of some of the songs I've written. They are personal reflections, growing out of my thoughts, writings, and poems.

Often, I write to make sense of the world around me — to explore the questions, challenges, and emotions that life brings. And perhaps, along the way, to find a little hope, a little light, and something meaningful to hold on to.

Many of these songs are simply my way of reflecting on life, expressing what I feel, and searching for the things that connect us.

I wrote this song as a reflection on the divisions that seem to be pulling our world apart. More and more, we find ourselves living in worlds shaped by algorithms that echo back what we already believe, surrounded by voices that reinforce our differences rather than remind us of what we share. We retreat into our own corners, drawing lines between us and them.
But beneath those divisions, we are still one human family — fragile, imperfect, and all struggling in our own ways. And perhaps what we have in common is far greater than anything that separates us. We are not as different as we sometimes imagine. My neighbor is not a stranger, not an enemy, not someone apart from me.
I am my neighbor, and my neighbor is me.

My Neighbor is Me

Our Love Song

The world feels heavy with shock and sadness these days. So often, I wake up, look at the news, and find it hard not to feel despair.
And yet, somewhere, a bird is singing. Love is still moving quietly through the world in countless unseen ways.
I wrote this song as my reminder: that even in the darkest times, a little light and a little grace can make a difference.
One heart at a time, one person at a time, we can help change the world.

Some days feel heavier than others, with so much unfolding around us that seems beyond our control. Yet in the midst of it all, I keep returning to the quiet power of love, friendship, and empathy.
These are the things that help heal wounds, restore hope, and remind us that together,
we are stronger than we realize.

There is Still a Light

I made this video in memory of my brother, Denn. He left us in 2020, but he is forever in my heart.

Our Golden Boy

Rise Again

This song is about inspiration and creativity—about what leads an artist forward, what helps us grow, and what quietly gets in the way.
One of the greatest obstacles to creativity is the fear of failing. My words in this video are a reminder that every step forward carries the possibility of a stumble. But if we never risk the fall, we may never discover what lies beyond the edge of what we already know. Think of all the art, music, dance, poetry, and invention that might never have existed
if the artist had stopped at fear.

We Are One

My husband and I recently visited Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, and being surrounded by these ancient redwoods, some more than 1,000 years old, felt like a sacred experience.
Standing among them, I was deeply moved by the sense of our eternal connection to the natural world, and to one another. I created this video from photographs we took during our visit, woven together with words inspired by my experience there.

Song of Hope

I created this song with my drums, as a kind of prayer or chant, as we continue to pray for peace in our world.

This song was inspired from a poem I wrote.
With the recent passing of several great artists, I felt I had to make this video. Here are several artists, living and dead who have influenced me and changed the world with their art.
We all have the ability to find beauty in the ordinary, the possibility in the unfinished, and light in even the smallest fracture.
This is for the artists, the dreamers, and anyone who sees a little differently.

I AM AN ARTIST